Wistful
by bookworm835
Summary: Charlie has always been forgotten, no matter where he went, and the island was no exception. Now, as he strums his guitar and Vincent howls in the distance, he sees Claire and her little one alone by the fire and he can't help but feel a bit wistful.


**Title: **Wistful  
**Author:** bookworm835  
**Rating: **K plus (I'd put the little symbol thingy that looks like a t but it doesn't show up... and I still say I liked the G, T, PG-13, R ratings better:indignant scowl:)  
**Categories:** Angst/Romance  
**Summary:** Charlie has always been forgotten and ignored, no matter where he went, and the island was no exception. Now, as he strums his guitar and Vincent howls in the distance, he sees Claire and her little one alone by the fire and he can't help but feel a bit wistful. CC ficlet, very short.  
**Disclaimer: **Muahaha, at my school I have been labeled the Lost Fanatic Wacko. Ah well... no matter how much I love Lost, it cannot be mine... I, too, am wistful...  
**A/N:** Uh, not much to say. I'm almost done with chapter five (wasn't it chapter five? or four? oh well) of Lost in Her Mind and I STARTED the next chapter in Found. :( Be patient, I'm working on it! I haven't felt very inspired lately. Well, for OTHER fics I have, just not THOSE fics. Go ahead, email me, I'd be glad for any and all suggestions as to what you'd like to happen in those stuffles. XD "_Motivation, such an aggrivation_ (yes, I know I probably spelled it wrong)_; accusations, don't know how to take them; inspirations, getting hard to fake it; concentration, never hard to break it; situation, never what you want it to be." _Sum 41 "Motivation" Yes indeed, I have not had any motivation to continue my Found... go ahead, email me just to yell and scream. I need a little motivation. This story might not be all that angsty. Sorry for angst luvers everywhere! I did not mean to lie to thee!

-

Vincent was howling mournfully off in the distance.

Jack, Kate, Sawyer and the others were off burying Boone. Jack had told Claire to stay with her unnamed baby boy at camp in the caves. Outside, the rain poured down in thick sheets. Charlie stayed with Claire and no one objected. Claire didn't object... but she didn't seem to notice him either. Her baby cooed softly in her lap. She tapped its nose with her forefinger, beaming radiantly, her smile brighter than the fire itself. Charlie didn't think he'd ever seen anything more beautiful.

"Hello there, little one," Claire whispered gently. "Yes, I'm your mummy. You're probably wondering where your dada is. Sad to say, he isn't with us now, little one, but don't you worry. We'll be fine on our own, yes we will."

Charlie didn't think _he'd_ be fine on _his_ own. Charlie was a dependent person. When he was a baby, it was his mum, quite like Claire was with her son. When he was a bit older, it was his brother. When he first crash landed on the island, it had been Jack and Kate. But, as much as he hated to admit it, he had always been alone. And he hated every second of it.

In his lap, he strummed his long, slender fingers across the strings of his guitar. Very, very softly he played every song that came to mind, careful not to bother the newborn's delicate ears. Usually he could escape into the music... but not tonight. Tonight, his attention was glued to Claire.

"I know you're probably a bit frightened," Claire murmured. "I am too. This place isn't proper for a little one like youself to grow up in. But you'll always have me. You'll always have me..."

Charlie was scared. The world was dark around him, the only light coming from the crackling flames. It was cold, so cold, not physically, but on the inside. Charlie was cold and scared. He didn't want to be alone. Loneliness was a terrible, empty feeling and it hurt worse than anything.

"I'll always love you, little one, no matter what. You probably already know that I was going to adopt you off. Those were my original intentions. Now I don't know how I could ever want to be rid of you. Oh, little one, I'm so sorry. I love you. For always and forever."

Charlie's heart was aching. He loved them both so much... If babies knew so much, did he know that Charlie had offered up his life to save him? Did he know the pain Charlie had gone though? Did he know how it felt to be rushing towards death, blindfolded and cold, with no one there to hear you scream? And then, when things started to look up, did he know how it felt to see Claire and the little one again? How hopeful one could feel before realizing that she didn't even remember his name?

Claire, her eyes cloudy, went on, "There's something... that _my_ dada used to sing to me. Will you listen? Oh, little one, hold this song close to your heart and you can never truly forget those who love you...

"_Catch a falling star and  
__Put it in your pocket,  
__Never let it fade away...  
_"_Catch a falling star and  
__Put it in your pocket,  
__Save it for a rainy day..."_

Charlie's ears perked up. He gently thrummed the strings up and down and sang, his low voice merging melodiously with her sweet, wavering tone. The pounding of the rain kept their rhythm.

"_For love may come and  
__Tap you on the shoulder  
__Some starless night..._

_"Just in case you feel you wanna hold her,  
__You'll have a pocketful of starlight..._

_"For when your troubles startin' multiplying,  
__And they just might...  
__It's easy to forget them without trying,  
__With just a pocketful of starlight..._

_"Catch a falling star and  
__Put it in your pocket,  
__Never let it fade away..._

_"Catch a falling star and  
__Put it in your pocket,  
__Save it for a rainy day..._

_"Some... rainy... day."_

Claire glanced up. Her lips curled into a loving smile.

And Charlie felt hope, because he knew that he wasn't alone anymore.

-

**Ahh, toldja it would be short. Please review! Flames are okay too... :hastily adds: BUT NOT ENCOURAGED! LOL. But yes, they are accepted. I certainly deserve them, 'cause I wrote this in, what? Half an hour? It's not enough thought! I am not wooorthy...**


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